Fire crews were making progress, but flames continued to "creep and smolder" in Ventura, California. And winds could kick up again.

Steven Snyder stood by his bedroom window, gazing out as his neighborhood burned. Waves of red and orange flames and plumes of black smoke swallowed everything in sight — yet, remarkably, his house stood unscathed.

Authorities said firefighters battled fierce, howling winds and rescued people as a fast-moving Southern California wildfire exploded in size.

Improved weather conditions allowed firefighters to increase containment on the blaze raging northwest of Los Angeles and keep it from growing over the weekend, but residents from about 1,000 evacuated homes still had to stay away.

Crews are battling wildfires on both U.S. coasts with more than 130 homes and structures destroyed out West. Firefighters in New York and New Jersey have been racing to battle dozens of blazes under the driest conditions in decades.